Rebus (TV series)
- For information on the Rebus word and picture puzzle see Rebus.
| Rebus | |
|---|---|
|
DVD cover (Series 2—4) | |
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Ian Rankin |
| Starring |
John Hannah Ken Stott Gayanne Potter Claire Price Sara Stewart Jennifer Black Ron Donachie Ewan Stewart Jenny Ryan |
| Composer(s) |
Simon Rogers David Ferguson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 14 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Eric Coulter Philip Hinchcliffe |
| Producer(s) |
Alan J. Wands Murray Ferguson |
| Location(s) | Edinburgh |
| Cinematography | Alasdair Walker |
| Editor(s) |
Chris Buckland Jon Gow |
| Running time | 60 — 120 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
STV Productions Scottish Television Clerkenwell Films |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 26 April 2000 – 7 December 2007 |
Rebus is a British television detective drama series based on the Inspector Rebus novels by the Scottish author Ian Rankin. The series was produced by STV Productions for the ITV network, and four series were broadcast between April 26, 2000 and December 7, 2007. The first series starred John Hannah as DI John Rebus; and was co-produced by Hannah's own production company, Clerkenwell Films. After Hannah quit the series, the role of Rebus was re-cast, with Ken Stott appearing as Rebus in three subsequent series, which were produced in-house by STV.
The first series is very different in both format and style. Hannah's portrayal of Rankin's world-weary detective was questioned by many who knew the books, as he did not physically match their image of John Rebus; Hannah himself has said he felt forced into the role, having been executive producer, when his own choice for the role, Peter Mullan, was rejected by STV. However his interpretation of the inspector is acknowledged to be deeper than the later productions, using narration to expand the viewers insight into the characters thoughts, or to reveal background information,[1] which never occurs during Stott's tenure. The earlier stories also retained the darkness of the novels and were more faithful to the original storylines,[1] while longer running times meant that each story could be less ruthless with Rankin's many asides and sub-plots.
In February 2008, ITV announced that Rebus had been axed, amid reports that Stott had told producers he did not want to continue in the role. ITV indicated that "one-off specials are a possibility for the future."[2] In April 2011, it was reported that the series could make a return to television, and a spokeswoman for STV confirmed a comeback was on the cards: "We fully intend to bring Rebus back in the future. There are no firm plans yet, but it will return."[3] However, Rankin has since announced that he has purchased the rights to the TV series back, and that he does not intend to bring Rebus back in the present format, having criticised the shorter format of the final series.[4] All three Stott series were released on DVD in the United Kingdom in 2007.[5][6][7] In Region 1, Koch Vision released the first series on DVD on January 10, 2006.[8] Series two through four were later released by Acorn Media between 2006 and 2008.[9][10][11] In 2008, Delta released the Hannah series in a four-disc box set.[12]
Cast
- John Hannah as DI John Rebus (Series 1)
- Ken Stott as DI John Rebus (Series 2—4)
- Gayanne Potter as DS Siobhan Clarke (Series 1)
- Claire Price as DS Siobhan Clarke (Series 2—4)
- Sara Stewart as DCI Gill Templer (Series 1)
- Jennifer Black as DCI Gill Templer (Series 2—4)
- Ron Donachie as DC Jack Gunner (Series 3—4)
- Ewan Stewart as DI Jack Morton (Series 1—4)
- Jenny Ryan as WPC Mary Logan (Series 1)
Episode list
Series 1 (2000—2004)
The fourth and final episode was originally due for broadcast on September 20, 2001, but following terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, was indefinitely postponed, and did not air until some four years later during a re-run of the series on ITV3, having never been aired on ITV1.
| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[13] |
Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Black and Blue" | Stuart Hepburn | Martyn Friend | 7.70 | 26 April 2000 |
| Rebus investigates when a number of women are killed with the same modus operandi as 'The Preacher', a prolific serial killer active in Edinburgh during the 1980s. But is a copycat killer at large, or has 'The Preacher' returned to finish what he started? | |||||
| 2 | "The Hanging Garden" | Ben Brown | Maurice Phillips | TBA | 15 July 2000 |
| Rebus investigates when an old friend, DI Jack Morton, is shot during an undercover operation at a pharmaceuticals factory which has become a hub for cocaine dealing and gun-running by a well-known mobster and his latest team of upstart thugs. | |||||
| 3 | "Dead Souls" | Stuart Hepburn | Maurice Phillips | TBA | 13 September 2001 |
| Rebus is forced to juggle two complex cases when an old friend approaches him to trace her son, who has disappeared, and a former colleague is killed in a freak accident, which asks the question - did he kill himself or was he murdered? | |||||
| 4 | "Mortal Causes" | Mark Greig | David Moore | TBA | 1 November 2004 (ITV3) |
| Rebus is forced to revisit a pact he made with a crime lord who identified who attacked his daughter in a freak hit-and-run, when his own son is murdered by a gang involved in gun running, right-wing extremism and racist white-power fanatics. | |||||
Series 2 (2006)
| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[13] |
Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Falls" | Daniel Boyle | Matthew Evans | 9.00 | 2 January 2006 |
| Rebus investigates the murder of a retired obstetrician, who is found dead in his home having been the victim of torture. A clue left at the scene by the killer leads Rebus to the local museum, and puts him onto the trial of a stalker targeting a university student. | |||||
| 2 | "Fleshmarket Close" | Daniel Boyle | Matthew Evans | TBA | 16 January 2006 |
| Rebus investigates the death of a Kosovan national who is found dead in a seedy Edinburgh slum, but a racist slur left on the victim's head leads him into contact with a group of local gangland bosses, and it's not long before a second corpse is discovered. | |||||
Series 3 (2006)
| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[13] |
Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Black Book" | Daniel Boyle | Roger Gartland | 5.68 | 8 September 2006 |
| Rebus finds himself drawn towards a cold case after a prostitute is buried alive beneath a famous Scottish landmark, but finds himself stonewalled when his prime suspect turns out to be a member of parliament - forcing his superiors to draft in a fellow DI to reign him in. | |||||
| 2 | "A Question of Blood" | Matthew Evans | Matthew Evans | 5.25 | 15 September 2006 |
| Rebus investigates a mass shooting at a local sports college, which has claimed the lives of two students and teacher, but when one of the victims turns out to be his cousin's son, he decides that bending the rules is the best way to get a result. | |||||
| 3 | "Strip Jack" | Robert Murphy | Matthew Evans | 5.81 | 22 September 2006 |
| Rebus investigates when the wife of a millionaire philanthropist, who is due to lead a conference on poverty in Africa, is found dead in the river, the morning after he was discovered having sex with a prostitute in a local brothel during a raid by divisional CID. | |||||
| 4 | "Let it Bleed" | David Kane | Roger Gartland | 5.70 | 29 September 2006 |
| Rebus takes on the case of a man who shoots himself during a meeting with the head of his local bank, but a photograph in his wallet leads him to a chemical plant preparing a pesticide for the third world, and a disgruntled ex-employee with a grudge over a false sexual assault claim. | |||||
Series 4 (2007)
"The First Stone" is the first and only story to be featured throughout the series which is not based upon a full Rebus novel, rather a novella from a collection of short stories. "Knots and Crosses" was due to be broadcast on October 19, 2007, but was postponed for reasons unknown. It was eventually broadcast on December 7, 2007.
| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Viewers (millions)[13] |
Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Resurrection Men" | David Kane | Roger Gartland | 4.81 | 5 October 2007 |
| Rebus is forced to attend a training course at police school following a public outburst, with his colleagues unaware that he is actually out to expose two corrupt police officers who have been running a protection racket, and could possibly be linked to the murder of a drug dealer. | |||||
| 2 | "The First Stone" | Colin Bateman | Morag Fullerton | 5.18 | 12 October 2007 |
| Rebus is called to investigate when the naked body of the Moderator Elect of the Church of Scotland is found in a local cruising spot with the body of a naked woman. Forced to deal with ongoing political battles between the church and its ministers, Rebus must solve the case in time for the gathering of the General Assembly. | |||||
| 3 | "The Naming of the Dead" | David Kane | Martyn Friend | 4.74 | 26 October 2007 |
| Rebus investigates when an unidentified body is found in the grounds of a local Edinburgh hotel which is due to play host to the World Trade Summit. When another body is found in the grounds of Edinburgh castle, Special Branch intervene and warn Rebus off the case. | |||||
| 4 | "Knots and Crosses" | Roger Gartland | Roger Gartland | 4.94 | 7 December 2007 |
| Rebus finds himself being investigated by an old friend after a murderer walks free on a technicality. Matters are made worse when the suspect and his brother are found dead, and the prosecutor in the case is found to have been paid off to discredit Rebus and his colleagues. | |||||
References
- 1 2 "John Hannah vs Ken Stott: Who's The Better Rebus? | Rebus | Drama Channel". Drama.uktv.co.uk. 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑ Leigh Holmwood. "ITV ditches Rebus as axe looms over several underperforming shows | Media". The Guardian. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑ "News - The Scotsman". News.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑ John Dingwall (2012-09-14). "Ian Rankin has rights back for Rebus". Daily Record. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑ "Rebus : Seasons 1-2 [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: John Hannah, Maurice Phillips, Martyn Friend: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑ Ken Stott (Actor). "Rebus : Seasons 3-4 (6 Disc Set) [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Ken Stott: DVD & Blu-ray". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑
- ↑ "Rebus: John Hannah, Sara Stewart, Ron Donachie, Gayanne Potter, Michelle Fairley, Paul Cunningham, Russell Barr, Mark Bonnar, Emma Currie, Hugh Ross, Anna Hepburn, Danielle Cook, David Moore, Maurice Phillips, Don Bell, Ben Brown, Ian Rankin, Mark Greig, Philip Palmer, Stuart Hepburn: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑ "Rebus - Set 1: Ken Stott, Claire Price, Jennifer Black, Tony Donaldson, Natalie Dormer, Andrea Hart, Richard Johnson, James McAnerney, Eileen McCallum, William Ruane, Elayne Sharling, Sharon Small, Alasdair Walker, Matthew Evans, Chris Buckland, Alan J. Wands, Eric Coulter, Daniel Boyle, Ian Rankin: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑
- ↑ "Rebus - Set 3: Ken Stott, Claire Price, Jennifer Black, Gregor Gillespie, John Hannah, Sara Stewart, Gayanne Potter, Ron Donachie, Andrew Barr, Rony Bridges, Norman Campbell Rees, Forbes KB: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ↑
- 1 2 3 4 "Top 30 Programmes – BARB". barb.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
External links
- Rebus on IMDb
- Ian Rankin (Official website)